Yesterday seemed way too familiar for the Long Beach State softball team, and that’s a good thing.  Danielle Linke hitting three-run homers, Brooke Turner pitching like Brooke Turner, and freshman Taylor Petty shutting out teams like if it was still high school ball made for a memorable Saturday.

The ‘Niners have been playing great ball of late, riding a season- long six game winning streak and improved their season record to 10-7 Saturday, thanks to a morning/afternoon sweep of BYU and Wisconsin in the second day of the Mayfair Tournament at Mayfair Park in Lakewood.

The pitching was on-point for the Beach as Taylor Petty (4-0) pitched her second consecutive complete-game shutout and stretched her innings scoreless streak to 22 innings in the ‘Niners 5-0 morning win. Brooke Turner got the start against Wisconsin facing the Badgers for the second time this season, and aside from one pitch, was dominant in Long Beach State’s 4-1 win at dusk.

As good as the pitching was, it was senior left fielder Danielle Linke getting the big hit for the Beach   again when she lifted a 2-0 riseball over the right-center field fence for a three-run home run in the fifth inning of their second game. It was the second two-out, three-run home run in a little over 24-hours for Linke who’s  home run Friday proved to be the winning run in their 6-5 win over Iowa State and this bomb gave Long Beach State a 3-1 lead heading into the sixth.

Junior shortstop Ashley Levine got the rally started for the Beach that inning reaching a bloop single to center. After junior second-baseman Jodi Nakawatase  struck out for the second out of the inning, senior center-fielder Breezy Goad got on base after getting hit by a pitch, setting up the scene for Linke’s home run which seemed to surprise no-one in the stands as most of them had been there to see it happen a day earlier.

Linke was all smile and laughs after the game making the art of hitting sounds as easy as kindergarten math, “To be honest, I saw the ball and liked it and swung,” she said flashing a smile. “That’s how most of my hits happen.”

The Beach fell behind 1-0 early in the fourth when Wisconsin freshman Karla Powell hit a home run to left, sending junior left-fielder Ashley Webb right through the stand-in fences in her attempt to make the catch. But that was the only mistake sophomore sensation Brooke Turner made improving her record to 6-3.

“As a pitcher it is so great knowing that if I do miss a pitch or something, I’m getting picked up by my teammates,” Turner said of Linke’s big hit. “I was the first one out there hitting her on the helmet on her way (to the plate). Amazing, we need that on our team and she’s a great leader.”

Junior catcher/designated player Brandi Reyes added another run in the sixth when she battled through a nine-pitch at bat finally hitting a ball that short-hopped the center field fence. The hit scored Megan Denio who stole second and went to third on an errant throw after pinch running for junior catcher Kristen Pocock, who walked.

Reyes also had a good game for the Beach in yesterday’s opening game driving in two runs on a 1-for-2 game with two walks. Reyes was behind the plate for the opener catching Petty who allowed five hits and struck out three in the 5-0 win over BYU.

“She just been pitching outstanding,” head coach Kim Sowder said of the freshman Petty. “She’s really a smart pitcher and she doesn’t make mistakes out there. BYU has a tough lineup and that was a tough challenge for her and she handled it pretty well, very exciting for our team.”

The ‘Niners struck early in the second when Nakawatase grounded out with bases loaded scoring Pocock from third. Weber and senior first-baseman Jonae Perez added a RBI for the Beach as well in the morning win.

“I think we started off a little slow but were starting to pick it up and this weekend were definitely showing our talent,” said Turner, speaking of teams current six game win streak. “Maybe being at home this weekend we feel more comfortable but were shooting for a sweep this weekend and winning both games tomorrow.”

Up next for Long Beach State is a 8:30 am showdown against Iowa State and a 3:15 pm match-up against no. 12/15 Fresno State in the final day of the Mayfair Tournament.